Balfour has been out for the past two weeks with a strained oblique muscle, but reported no problems following a bullpen session yesterday and told Lee: “I want to be ready now.”

He’s expected to resume eighth-inning setup duties in front of closer Andrew Bailey. In the first season of a two-year, $8 million deal, Balfour was dominant with a 2.48 ERA, .198 opponents’ batting average, and 35 strikeouts in 33 innings prior to the DL stint.